Mets Made Good Catch(er) With F. Alvarez
PLUS: MEMORIAL DAY MILEPOST SUGGESTS THIS YEAR'S EVENTUAL WINNERS
Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
Will Atlanta reliever A.J. Minter ever get out of his month-long funk? He has a 10.93 ERA over 15 appearances going back to April 21 and is in danger of another demotion to the minors, as in 2021 . . .
Yonder Alonso of MLB Network on a bunt by Boston’s Pablo Reyes: “It’s either gonna be fair or foul” . . .
Pete Alonso, no relation, wasn’t much better when he blared into a live SNY microphone: “Let’s f—king go, Mets” . . .
New York Post sports columnist Phil Mushnick thinks Curtis Sliwa would like the Guardian-Angels series . . .
Injured Mets lefty Jose Quintana, who has yet to throw a pitch for the club after signing as a free agent, says his surgically-repaired rib has healed . . .
Before Alonso passed him this season, Paul Lo Duca held the CitiField record for most home runs (70) . . .
Notorious streak hitter Austin Riley is finally warming with the weather but the Braves need Michael Harris II, the defending NL Rookie of the Year, to follow suit.
Leading Off
Francisco Alvarez is Fitting In
By Ray Kuhn
The New York Mets got things right with Francisco Alvarez. That is not something we can often say about the Mets, but there should be a qualifier in place.
Actually, let us start things over.
The New York Mets got things right with Francisco Alvarez in 2023 after making a panicked and desperate decision in 2022.
Things were going great for the Mets for the majority of last season. They spent ample time in first place, and seemed like it would be just a matter of time before a division title was there. Instead, September took place, and New York seemed to stop hitting and simply went into a tailspin.
We can spend way too much time dissecting all of the reasons why things went sideways, but ultimately, the fact remains, that if you want to win baseball games, you need to hit the ball. To that point, the Mets tried a desperate measure by promoting Alvarez to make his debut towards the end of September.
Regardless of any outside situations, any time a player makes his major-league debut, pressure is going to be swirling and potentially paralyzing. Pressing is going to be natural here as you look to make your case for being a major-league player while also competing for playing time and not going back down to Triple-A.
So, take that pressure, and then combine the pressure of being in a pennant race, multiply the two and amplify things by a thousand when you are look at as being the savior of the Mets’ lineup.
With that said, it should not have been surprising to see Alvarez hit .167 in 14 plate appearances while striking out 28.6% of the time. That is the kind of introduction to MLB action that could sink a young player, but thankfully, Alvarez is better than that.
The 21-year-old has shown through his minor-league career that he has a powerful bat and is a home run and RBI threat. Strikeouts will always be something to watch here, around 25% of the time, with similar batting average issues, but Alvarez does have command of the plate and there are no questions about his bat.
As with all young catchers though, there have been some questions about his ability behind the plate. The good news though is that Alvarez has shown the dedication to work through that and gain the trust of his pitchers.
While adjusting to major-league pitching is never going to be easy, most position players only have to worry about that. As a catcher, their offense ultimately comes in secondary to the defensive part of their game. With that being the area of focus for Alvarez, the Mets intended for Alvarez to spend the majority of 2023 in Triple-A to work on that.
Ultimately, the injury to Omar Navarez changed things pretty quickly, and things were not looking great for the young catcher. In April, Alvarez only hit .194 in 12 games with one home run and three RBI. Criticism was swirling around Alvarez, but something more important was happening.
Alvarez was working quite diligently on his craft behind the plate, improving as a catcher, and earning the praise of his pitching staff. While we want Alvarez to hit, that is always going to be more important.
The good news, is that Alvarez didn’t take too long to find his groove, and entering action on Friday he was hitting .304 with five home runs and 11 RBI in 56 at-bats in May. More importantly, though, is what happened when the Mets began to get healthy at the catching position.
Not only is Alvarez continuing to earn more playing time, but when there was the potential for him to be sent down to Triple-A, his pitching staff advocated for him to remain at the big-league level.
Ultimately, the Mets made the correct decision, and I’m not sure that Alvarez is going anywhere. Not only are we seeing his potential at the plate, but the benefits of his hard work in other aspects of his game and coming to fruition.
Ray Kuhn can be found writing on Fantrax and Fantasy Alarm after previously covering the Houston Astros as part of the FanSided network at Climbing Tal’s Hill. Reach him at @ray_kuhn_28 or raykuhn57@gmail.com as he is always interested in talking or writing about our great game.
Cleaning Up
Does Monday’s Memorial Day Milepost Suggest Final Standings?
By Dan Schlossberg
For generations, big-league ballclubs have considered Memorial Day a major milepost.
It is not only the date to start planning major moves — such as firing a manager or promoting a prospect — but also to consider whether the first third of the seaspm has been a boon or a bust.
Trade talk will pick up too as teams evaluate the depth of their rosters, the impact of their injuries, and their progress in the pennant (aka divisional) races.
As we prepare to tear off another page in the 162-game calendar, the Atlanta Braves have the biggest lead in any of the six divisions. But their season is more a byproduct of other teams’ failures than Atlanta’s abilities.
Seeking their sixth straight division crown — the longest active title streak in the majors — the Braves have staggered lately. Trying to stay afloat without ace pitchers Max Fried and Kyle Wright has been trying at best, especially considering the recent struggles of 40-year-old Charlie Morton and erratic strikeout machine Spencer Strider.
In addition, reigning NL Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II, who hit .297 with 19 homers after his Memorial Day promotion last season, has been a disaster, hitting more than 100 points less and producing fewer long balls than Orlando Arcia.
If not for MVP favorite Ronald Acuna, Jr., the Braves might be closer to last place than first. But the aging New York Mets and defensively-challenged Philadelphia Phillies have had trouble staying above the .500 mark all season.
In the NL West, the San Diego Padres have gotten little bang for their buck after spending wildly in the free-agent market last winter. Heavy favorites of the forecasters, the Padres have fallen back to the pack as the Los Angeles Dodgers have ridden young players back to their traditional spot at the top of the heap.
We all knew Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts who be MVP contenders but who knew James Outman — a great name for baseball, by the way — would become one of their most productive teammates?
Nobody expected much from San Francisco, hardly Giants so far, after the team sought Aaron Judge and Xander Bogaerts but settled for Michael Conforto.
On the other hand, Arizona’s Diamondbacks are shining like gems in a prospector’s pan. After cutting ties with free-agent bust Madison Bumgarner, the D’backs are actually on track for a playoff berth (since a dozen teams now qualify in the foolishly-expanded postseason).
Like Arizona, Pittsburgh has gone from pathetic to promising — even after the devastating long-term injury to rising star Oneill Cruz. The Pirates won’t win the Central title but might just squeeze into the postseason picture with its team of untested unknowns.
The stumbling start of the St. Louis Cardinals, who lack pitching, and their indecision over where Willson Contreras should play could make Oli Marmol the first managerial casualty of the campaign. But David Ross of the Cubs could beat him to it, even though Cody Bellinger is the favorite for the Comeback of the Year award (with ex-Cub Jason Heyward, now a Dodger, also in the running).
Another Contreras — William — has thrived since arriving in Milwaukee, where his bat and guidance of an injury-riddled pitching staff have made the Brewers surprise contenders. Suffice to say, however, that no NL Central team is likely to advance past the Division Series.
The American League also has a lethargic Central Division, perhaps compensating for the beasts of the East and West.
All five teams in the loaded Eastern division have won more than they lost but all seem toothless when matched against the surprise front-runners from Tampa Bay. All the Rays have done is parlayed pitching and power into a juggernaut that started 35-15, thanks to a record-tying 13-0 streak at the start.
The youthful Baltimore Orioles, ripening on the vine at the big-league level, could be this year’s Cinderella club though its pitching still looks like a likely a Achilles heel. Don’t be surprised if somebody like Adley Rutschman or Rookie of the Year contender Gunnar Henderson challenges Shohei Ohtani for American League MVP honors.
Aaron Judge won’t hit 62 homers again but still spearheads a strong Yankees attack that hopes to generate more runs than its pitchers allow. The return of oft-injured Luis Severino should help, though Gerit Cole is staking a strong claim on his first Cy Young Award.
Toronto, like New York, has been on a roller-coaster ride all season, sweeping Atlanta in a three-game set but otherwise looking mostly mortal. And the Boston Red Sox, seeking to escape the cellar, miss Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez, both of whom are tearing up the National League after riding free agency across league lines.
Both the Jays and the Sox need better pitching. Kenley Jansen isn’t the answer, Boston.
In the West, all eyes are on Ohtani, whose pending free agency could prompt a July trade — perhaps by a contender willing to surrender a fortune for a two-month rental.
The two-way star has another MVP in his sights and perhaps his first Cy Young too, though Cole could have something to say about that. In the meantime, Ohtani’s future could be determined by the future of Mike Trout and the rest of the Angels. If they win, he just might stay, though Dodger dollars could be enticing.
Jacob deGrom won’t win a third Cy Young — he has to stay healthy for that — but the Texas Rangers under future Hall of Fame manager Bruce Bochy entered Memorial Day weekend as best of the West. Their heavy-hitting lineup was the main reason.
Dusty Baker, whose next stop will also be Cooperstown, is trying to defend a world championship — his first as a manager — but also to ward off an injury bug that has claimed starting pitchers Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers, Jr., among others. At least he got former MVP and batting champ Jose Altuve back after a long IL stint with a fractured thumb.
The Seattle Mariners, who remain the only team that has never won a pennant, would like to end that drought that season. Jarred Kelenic is doing his best to help but the season-long loss of lefty Robbie Ray, the AL’s Cy Young Award winner in 2021, was a major setback. The M’s should be better when Julio Rodriguez recaptures last year’s Rookie of the Year form (see also Michael Harris II, another victim of the Sophomore Jinx).
Only one thing’s for sure about the AL West: the Athletics are not only out of the running but also out of their long-time home. When they move to Las Vegas, perhaps as early as next season, the penny-pinching A’s will become the first club to represent four different cities. It may be a worthwhile gamble, however.
Former AP sportswriter Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ is signing his latest book, Baseball’s Memorable Misses, at the Flemington (NJ) Book Fair all day Sunday, at a SABR meeting in N. Attleboro MA June 10, and at the Baseball Hall of Fame July 6. Email him at ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia
“I thought he should have gotten in a long time ago.”
— New Hall of Famer Scott Rolen on Fred McGriff, chosen by an Eras Committee
The lowest first-year percentages of players eventually elected to Cooperstown: Rolen (10.2%), Duke Snider (17%), Bert Blyleven (17.5%), Larry Walker (20.3%), Mike Mussina(20.3%) . . .
Every Cooperstown candidate who topped 42% in their first year of eligibility eventually won election (Carlos Beltran got 46.5% last year) . . .
Players whose Class of 2023 percentages were too low to retain spots on the Hall of Fame ballot include R.A. Dickey, John Lackey, Bronson Arroyo, Huston Street, Matt Cain, Jacoby Ellsbury, Andre Ethier, Jered Weaver, and Jayson Werth, among others . . .
First-timers coming up for election soon include Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer, Chase Utley, and David Wright in 2024, Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, and Brian McCann in 2025, Ryan Braun, Edwin Encarnacion, and Nick Markakis in 2026, Buster Posey and Jon Lester in 2027, and Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols in 2028 . . .
With Andruw Jones a strong contender, it’s worth noting that only eight center-fielders have been elected to Cooperstown by the Baseball Writers Association of America. No defensive position has so few electees, although there were only eight third basemen before Rolen won election to the Class of 2023 . . .
The Hall of Famer who lived the longest was Bobby Doerr, who passed when aged 99 years and 220 days in 2017. David Ortiz, 47, is the youngest living Hall of Famer.
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Benjamin Chase [gopherben@gmail.com] handles Monday and Tuesday editions, Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] does Wednesday and Thursday, and Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com] edits the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HTP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.